Since 1924, the lights illuminating the white face of the Wrigley Building have almost continually shone. Now, the building's owners want to shift the spotlight onto the tech companies they see as emblems of the future.

"The Wrigley Building is a Chicago icon, and the technology community is quickly becoming iconic in its ability to create jobs," entrepreneur Brad Keywell said.

Keywell and fellow Groupon co-founder Eric Lefkofsky are part of a group that purchased the building in 2011. Keywell says he's involved in creating a revamped vision for the building, which includes attracting tech companies.

Richard Lee, CEO of Bluebeam Software, is already sold on that idea. His company, based in Pasadena, Calif., moved its Chicago operations into the building in early February.

"It's all about creating an experience" for customers and partners, he said.

Creating the space

The Wrigley Building will mark the 90th anniversary of its completion this year. After a year of renovations, the skyscraper reopened in July, with new terra cotta that honors the building's beloved past.

The new ownership group envisions a Wrigley Building studded with amenities you'd expect to see in tech-friendly spaces. The building now includes fun elements, particularly in the modern shared lounge, which features an open fireplace and historic baby grand piano. It also has functional spaces, such as the conference and training rooms tenants can rent by the day.

It's the planned extra amenities that Keywell, his co-owners and the building's leasing staff believe will attract tech tenants. These include a state-of-the-art Walgreens, a high-end coffee shop, a fitness center and a nursing room for new mothers.

Such features are what it takes to attract tech tenants who want a private, customizable space, along with convenient options for collaboration and making employees' lives easier. So says Ari Glass, executive vice president of Zeller Realty Group, the firm leading the leasing of the building’s available retail and office space.

"We found it's nice to be able to build those [amenities] into your own space but also outside of your office…within the building where you can go," Glass said.

Bluebeam Software's Lee said the combination of modern amenities, timeless aesthetics and a convenient location sealed the deal for his company.

"I’m hoping as our customers and partners visit us in Chicago," he said, "they’re going to react to the building and to our office and smile."

Fill 'er up

Companies in or that work with the tech industry currently claim about 61,000 of the building's 473,000 square feet of office space, Glass said. These include Bluebeam Software; technology and business solutions firm Quinnox; marketing firm Resource LLC, based in Columbus, Ohio; Grisko, a PR firm now headquartered in the Wrigley Building; and, most recently, Talent Partners, which provides advertising consulting services.

More than 47 percent of the building is under lease, Glass said, with another 22,600 or so square feet in pending tech leases. Glass said he expects tech companies to represent up to 15 percent of tenants by the time the building fills up. Other tenants cover such industries as legal and investment. Glass said he would love to have startups expanding out of 1871, for example, lease space from him.

Keywell said he doesn't plan to move Groupon or his venture capital firm, Lightbank, from their perch at 600 W. Chicago Ave. But he said he would like to see some of the 73 companies Lightbank started or invests in take up residence at the Wrigley Building.

"As the Wrigley Building starts to fill up with high-energy tech companies, there's going to be a buzz that comes along with that," Keywell said. "As we build energy and buzz in the building, it's going to create…a multiplier effect."

Prime real estate

The Wrigley Building occupies prime ground on Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River, on the southeastern corner of Chicago's tech-heavy River North neighborhood. Yet Keywell said he'd be OK with it if the building doesn't become a tech hub.

"I envision it as a part of that technology corridor," he said.

Keywell pointed to nearly 35,000 square feet of spec suites, which are pre-built and furnished units that provide an immediate option for smaller companies. Companies willing to wait six to eight months have the option to design a space from scratch, choosing everything from flooring and ceiling style — allowing for an exposed, industrial look, if desired — to decor, furniture and kitchen finishings.

Bluebeam's 9,339-square-foot space features an open layout supplemented with glass-enclosed offices and meeting spaces. Taking advantage of the building's extreme angles, the back area features a chic wine bar — complete with an island constructed from old barrels.

"Bluebeam being a tech company that works in the architecture, engineering and construction space, we wanted to keep that in mind in terms of creating a space that represented the intersection of history of design [with the] future of technology," Lee said.